Collecting 101: the ultimate guide for collectors and alternative asset enthusiasts

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Become a collecting expert

What makes a collectible valuable? What are alternative assets and can you get rich selling them? Find your answers and become a collecting expert.

Collecting 101 – what you need to know

You have questions about collecting. We have answers. Find out what you’ve needed to know to generate profit with your collection.

Alternative asset is an umbrella term used to describe an asset that doesn’t slot into traditional investment classes, like stocks and bonds. Examples include collectibles, real estate, and NFTs.

If an alternative asset rises in value since its original sale, it might become a collectible. Several factors play into this value appreciation, including the item’s rarity, condition, and market demand for the item. Simply put, if your signed ticket or trading card is worth more now than it was when you bought it, you could have a collectible on your hands.

Collecting can represent your passion or a lifelong pursuit of something that you love. It can also represent an opportunity to generate wealth while expressing and sharing your legacy. Your collection can become a source of income or something to pass down to your children. This asset class comes with benefits and risks, as with any investment, but if any of this sounds appealing, you might consider becoming a collector.

There are many categories of collectibles. Key ingredients include: passion, joy, and a healthy community of like-minded people who care about their physical assets. Examples include watches, sports cards, memorabilia, and comic books. If a large enough group of people love what you love, there are pretty decent odds that you can collect items related to that passion.

Condition and rarity are the two key factors when judging a collectible. Taking sports cards as an example, most collectors mightn’t want to buy a common card or one that has tears, scuffs, or bends. Some collectors prefer their assets unsigned, where others collect only signed pieces. When judging a collectible, think about how many examples of that item are on the market, the community and the condition the item is in before investing your money.

You can as long as you’re smart about it. Those on a budget often focus on a specific category within their collecting niche. For example, sports card collectors may start by focusing on specific athletes, teams, or types of cards.

Once you’ve chosen your category, set a strict monthly or annual budget for your spending. Once you know what you can spend, trust MAGPIE to help you track current prices so you can find great deals on items that will appreciate in value. With a little patience, you could build a collection that is worth far more than you originally spent on it.

The collectibles market refers to anywhere that collectibles are bought and sold. This includes everything from physical stores to online marketplaces, such as eBay and Facebook. MAGPIE is a collectibles market bringing together hobbyists, collectors, small businesses, and even wealth managers who are looking to trade, buy and sell physical assets.

Anybody who is passionate about a particular category, and recognizes the appreciation potential of that category, can become a collectibles investor. Physical assets allow you to diversify your portfolio, build a legacy, personalize your finances, and have fun while doing it!

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Post National

With nearly 100,000 participants and an estimated $1B+ in assets on the floor, the National Sports Collectors Convention aka “The National” brought together some of

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The MAGPIE difference

A New Way to Invest

Don’t get lost in the confusing world of collecting. MAGPIE delivers real-time sales data you need to make smart transactions.

Diversify Your Portfolio

Existing investors can use collecting to diversify their portfolios so their assets aren’t all in a single investment class.

Help From the Experts

If you’re new to collecting, MAGPIE can put you in a position to make wise decisions. You get access to a wealth of knowledge directly from our in-house experts and the MAGPIE community.